Workplace Relations Advisers
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Workplace Relations Advisers assist in resolving disputes by advising on workplace relations policies and problems, and representing industrial, commercial, union, employer or other parties in negotiations on rates of pay and conditions of employment.
Specialisations: Industrial Relations Officer, Trade Union Official, Union Organiser.
Industry experience is needed to work as a Workplace Relations Adviser. Some workers also have formal qualifications. University and Vocational Education and Training (VET) are both common study pathways.
Tasks
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Maintains personnel records and associated human resource information systems.
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Arranges the induction of staff and provides information on conditions of service, salaries and promotional opportunities.
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Receives and records job vacancy information from employers such as details about job description, wages and conditions of employment.
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Studies and interprets legislation, awards, collective agreements and employment contracts, wage payment systems and dispute settlement procedures.
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Develops, plans and formulates enterprise agreements or collective contracts such as productivity-based wage adjustment procedures, workplace relations policies and programmes, and procedures for their implementation.
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Oversees the formation and conduct of workplace consultative committees and employee participation initiatives.
Characteristics
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University
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Vocational Education and Training (VET)
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Informal or on-the-job
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Administrative
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Enterprising
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Helping
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Sedentary
Outlook
JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Human Resource Professionals, under the outlook section.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
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Around 84% of people employed as Workplace Relations Advisers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 18 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 44 hours per week in their main job. This is the same as the all jobs average.
Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.
Industries
Main industries
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Most Workplace Relations Advisers work in the Other services industry. They are also employed in industries like:
- Public administration and safety
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Education and training.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report.
Regions
Employment across Australia
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Employment by State and Territory (% Share)
State | Workplace Relations Advisers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 27.6 | 31.6 |
VIC | 27.2 | 25.6 |
QLD | 19.2 | 20.0 |
SA | 7.8 | 7.0 |
WA | 11.4 | 10.8 |
TAS | 2.8 | 2.0 |
NT | 1.4 | 1.0 |
ACT | 2.6 | 1.9 |
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Around 77% of Workplace Relations Advisers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
- Melbourne - Inner
- Sydney - City and Inner South
- Melbourne - West
- Perth - North West
- Sydney - Inner West.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Worker profile
Age and gender
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The median age of Workplace Relations Advisers is 45 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.
Females make up 45% of the workforce. This is 3 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile (% Share)
Age Bracket | Workplace Relations Advisers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.4 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 4.1 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 22.4 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 23.1 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 25.4 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 12.0 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 8.5 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 4.1 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 45 | 40 |
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Employment Pathways
Education, training and experience
Industry experience is needed to work as a Workplace Relations Adviser. Some workers also have formal qualifications. University and Vocational Education and Training (VET) are both common study pathways.
Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Business Services VET training pathways.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Workplace Relations Advisers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 19.6 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 34.7 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 9.8 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 16.4 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 11.5 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 2.1 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 6.0 | 12.5 |
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Skills and Knowledge
Employers look for Human Resource Professionals who have strong people skills, who are well presented and can communicate clearly.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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64%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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61%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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61%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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61%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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61%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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59%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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57%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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55%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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55%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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55%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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54%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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52%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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52%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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52%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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50%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
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50%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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48%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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48%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
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46%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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45%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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74%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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71%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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66%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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64%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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60%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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56%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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54%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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51%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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49%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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49%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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48%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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45%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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41%
Therapy and counsellingDiagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
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41%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
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36%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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31%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
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30%
Philosophy and theologyPhilosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
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25%
Production and processingRaw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
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20%
TransportationMoving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
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14%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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63%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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63%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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61%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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61%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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61%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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57%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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54%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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54%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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52%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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52%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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52%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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50%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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46%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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45%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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45%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
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43%
Speed of recognitionQuickly make sense of and organize things you can see like letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
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41%
MathematicsChoose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
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39%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
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37%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
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32%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
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95%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
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86%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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80%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
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76%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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73%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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71%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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70%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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69%
Giving expert adviceProviding guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.
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69%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
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68%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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66%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
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66%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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66%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
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66%
Coaching and developing othersWorking out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
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66%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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66%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
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63%
Coming up with systems and processesDeciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
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63%
Leading and encouraging a teamEncouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
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58%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
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45%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Interests and demands
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
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90%
EnterprisingStarting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
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67%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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62%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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43%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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33%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
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14%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
Values
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81%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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81%
RelationshipsServe and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
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71%
SupportSupportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
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69%
Working conditionsJob security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
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67%
IndependenceWork alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
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67%
RecognitionAdvancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
Demands
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98%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
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97%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
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92%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
92%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
-
89%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
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86%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
84%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
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82%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
82%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
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82%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
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81%
Conflict situationsDeal with conflict or disagreements.
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81%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
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80%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
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79%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
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78%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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77%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
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76%
Angry or unpleasant peopleDeal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
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69%
CompetitionCompete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
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63%
Consequence of errorWork where mistakes have serious consequences.
-
63%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 13-1075.00 - Labor Relations Specialists.
Links and downloads
Research and reports
The Skills Priority List provides a current labour market rating and a future demand rating for nearly 800 occupations nationally. Current labour market ratings are available for occupations at a state and territory level.
Downloads
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Occupation profiles data are available for download.
The Employment Projections are available for download.